Recent discussions highlight significant concerns regarding the operational readiness of the U.S. Merchant Marine, which plays a crucial role in military logistics and sealift capabilities. Issues such as the breakdown of Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (DOTMARAD) and Military Sealift Command ships, along with a shortage of U.S. Merchant Mariners, have been pointed out as critical vulnerabilities. Additionally, there are claims that foreign lobbyists have influenced decisions to defund U.S. sealift capabilities, potentially compromising the ability to support military operations and allied aid effectively. This situation is further exacerbated by the perceived lack of recognition and support from government officials, including the absence of veteran benefits and service ribbons for Merchant Mariners. Reports of Houthi missiles targeting U.S.-flagged vessels and the historical loss of 142 merchant marine cadets during WWII underscore the risks and challenges faced.
Not sure how you fight a war without sealift, airlift, shipping, dry docks or refueling tanks DOD and Congressional appropriations have pretty systematically gutted these things and pretend contractors will magically appear to fill the gap after we are at war https://t.co/Ya6L9Cud2b
It is NOT ok to strip a service of its budget, it’s weapons, it’s benefits (Merchant Marine had veteran health BEFORE the Army) and now strip us of our very existence as a service… but say “they provide a critical role” 🤦♂️ Those platitudes are dangerous marxist bull. We DO NOT… https://t.co/hhhG2nPIqk
If I wanted to cripple 🇺🇸’s ability to defend bases in the first island chain I wouldn’t attack where we are strongest. I would attack our weakest link: sealift Who is the DoD SES pushing this budget cut and is @FBI investigating the influence campaign behind this? https://t.co/ayYgMqFAxd
Mead: “Washington’s unwillingness or inability to stop Houthi piracy across sea lanes vital to regional trade is shocking. For 80 years the U.S. Navy has kept the trade routes to the Middle East and Europe open. Is that era ending?” https://t.co/tRUFvw1Cqa
I keep hearing about the @USMC and @USMC emphasizing operations in and around the western Pacific, but their current plans involve gutting the bulk of their afloat prepositioning programs. The Army will be gone by 2025 and the Marines have less than a brigade afloat. https://t.co/NzhpfXXGME
Hey @PeteButtigieg, my cadet said his fellow midshipman had Houthi missiles fired at him in the Red Sea on a U.S.-flagged vessel. Remember how 142 merchant marine cadets died in WWII. Other service academies do not send their cadets to war. Our cadets are still in warzones. https://t.co/2yEB4X5WFV https://t.co/UB23Q8sb3I
US MERCHANT MARINE ISN’T A SERVICE US MERCHANT MARINERS AREN’T VETERANS THEY ARE JUST CIVILIANS! WE CAN PUT ALL OUR BOMBS & AMMO ON ALLIED SHIPS WE CAN BUY ALL OUR WAR FUEL OVERSEAS Who do these false narratives support more? 🇺🇸 or 🇨🇳 Who put @SecretaryPete in charge?
You want keep ✅ defense contracts rolling? ✅ small wars going? Fund 🇺🇸 airlift! You want to ☑️Cripple 🇺🇸 ability to fight a large war ☑️Cripple 🇺🇸 ability to replenish allies en masse Then defund 🇺🇸 sealift! Which is exactly what 🇨🇳 🇪🇺paid lobbyists have convinced us to do! https://t.co/FZSk9DWvnd
Logistics, logistics, logistics If you want to cripple American military might without disturbing defense contracts then defund heavy logistics Our sealift logistics has been gutted and stripped. Not even the president knows how broke my Merchant Marine is. Wake up America!! https://t.co/zZRFlsx4jU
Logistics, logistics, logistics If you want to cripple American military might without disturbing defense contracts then defund heavy logistics Our sealift logistics has been gutted and stripped. No even the president knows how broke my Merchant Marine is. Wake up America!! https://t.co/zZRFlsx4jU
Has a foreign state actor identified that no serious US military actions can take place overseas without the US Merchant Marine? Has the US Merchant Marine be defunded, delegitimized and ostracized in order to cripple our military and allied aid? Will any media report on this? https://t.co/LMbtUHL5qQ
Or… @US_TRANSCOM can’t get a ship because the @DOTMARAD and @MSCSealift ships keep breaking down and we ran out of US Merchant Mariners willing to sail into danger with zero VA benefits and @SecretaryPete’s refusal to even say thanks much less award bonuses or service ribbons https://t.co/WIyk3mxw92